I want to celebrate the milestone but I really can't.
I am lost with this blog and I am about to give up on improving the blog, there is essentially no feedback from any users visiting this blog. I have asked my Pentax buddies to give me clues and critiques to improve the blog. I have removed the voting widget in soliciting ideas after getting a meager 2 votes in a month. Thanks in particular to the two buddies who have actually voted. It is like crying out loud repeatedly for help and I am talking to thin air with no reply, not even an echo in a remote distance that shows somebody actually 
cares. It is sad and sickening to the bones why I can't get help from friends. Tonight, I do feel like a pathetic pig with no idea where I am heading in order to raise readership for the blog.What is wrong with my blog page that no body leaves any comment. There is close to zero user engagement. Maybe my blog page has a bug in the commenting section as Robin has mentioned a couple of times. Please try it again as I have removed word verification in the comment set up.
My face will be purple if I reveal my subscriber count. Thanks to those readers who actually subscribe to my blog. In appreciation, I am coming up with give away to subscribers in the months ahead. I can't figure what to offer but here are working gear that I have thought about
- A working Pentax Super Program with user manual
- A nice and cute Super Lantar 28mm f/2.8 in M42 mount
- A working copy of Vivitar 283 Thyristor flash
- A Sunpak 433 Thyristor flash
- A new copy of Spectra Light Flash Diffuser
- A REI ultrapod II mini-tripod
- A micro-tools wet cleaning toolkit
To learn more about RSS subscription, I recommend my readers to visit http://problogger.net article on What is RSS? Problogger was found by Darren Rowse whom I get inspired in blogging.
If you are a RSS or Email subscribers, I thank you sincerely for your subscription and please comment on this blog post with your email so that I can include you for my 1st giveaway. Please don't leave me in the dark with no comments and feedback. I will update this blog post for the official date for the giveaway. Also, please do comment if you have any suggestions for the blog. I need critiques for improvements with suggestions and topics of interest. I want to learn photography and reinvent our love of photo along with my readers and subscribers, your comments and suggestions are very much appreciated.
23 comments:
Hello Hin Man,
I've been silently reading your blog for around a month via RSS. I particularly enjoy your attitude of "I don't need the most expensive, up-to-date equipment to take pictures".
I don't have any real suggestions, except... keep up the great work!
(Almost) silently reading your blog since I don't know when ! Love the fact it's not a "tech" blog, or maybe it's a "low-tech" blog ;-) As I use my Pentax K10D with old gear (sometimes older than me !), I can appreciate that.
Suggestions ? Maybe improving the comment section, which is not so welcoming — and keeping up !!
I am another recent silent RSS reader - found you via Pentaxforums. I enjoy reading your blog. I am super shy and very rarely comment on any blog (even blogs run by my family).
-Mark
I'm also subscribing to your blog via RSS and I'm a long time Pentax user. I still have working Pentax SL (screw mount Spotmatic without meter), Super Program and ZX-5n film SLRs in my closet along with many SMCP M and A prime lenses. Recently I finally acquired a new K200D and I really like it. I'm slowly adding DA and DA* zoom lenses and I'm impressed with the color and sharpness. I enjoy reading your reviews and seeing your photos and I purchased a DA* 50-135 f/2.8 after seeing your results. Keep up the good work. John
Thank you for all the comments from you all.
@Mark Muller, thanks for the comment and I still love to shoot with my M42 and old K mount gear as much as the more expensive gear.
@Anthony, I need to research if there is simple way to improve the comment section of my blog.
@Mark, your comment means a great deal to me. It shows when you drop me a comment, it really brightens my thoughts and it is a chain reaction to do more in sharing ideas, thoughts and learning experience with our Pentax gear.
@Annoymous, thank you for the subscription. I love the DA* zoom, the more I use it, I more I find it dependable and it works as a great pair to my event lens with Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8. Though I am unlikely to upgrade to DA* 16-55mm, it is still tempting. I find the DA* 50-135mm f/2.8 my best lens for events that require a longer reach. It works well with my boys as well. A longer reach and silent focusing helps to make the shot easier on my boys.
Hin,
Most blog readers are just that, readers, and they rarely post comments. There are a number of reasons for this, too many blogs to read (I'm subscribed to over 200, and that's low from what I hear), non-English language readers shy to write in English, low number of Pentax users overall... And some people simply don't see a blog as a community that encourages participation, but rather as a book.
Are your numbers going down, staying level? Why do you want them to increase more? Do you write for yourself or for the public? What is the goal of your blog? You need to figure these things out, then implement strategies that will enable you to get where you want to go.
Personally, I see nothing wrong with the blog as it is. I like the redesign as it makes it easier to read, so now all I need is those articles to keep coming in, even if it's just one a week.
Stay strong,
—M.
Mis, thx for the support. You make a lot sense in your comment. My traffic is pretty much staying flat. Maybe I have unrealistic expectations from blogging. I should stay more focused on the content and share the experience in the path of learning.
It's a consumer society. People will read and read without commenting. But that doesn't mean you are not providing something of value.
Write because it's what you want to do, not to get an audience. That's my goal, anyway. Anything else is ultimately frustrating.
And yes, I still can't post comments from Firefox. Damn Blogger.
I think anybody who researches older lenses on the Pentax K series cameras has seen your blog. If thats your target audience, then I think you're doing just fine. I'm a subscriber and very occasional commenter, and I like it as-is.
Hin Man,
I read your blog everytime you post something new. I own pentaxdslrs.blogspot.com and I write two to three times per week. I don't get much comments either. Comments are mostly left on forums. I write about equipment, post photos or anything that I think will be of interest to my readers. I get a much greater number of hits than I ever imagined I would and that's good enough for me.There are now almost 500 articles on the blog that people can refer to, and they do all the time. Miserere pretty much wrote what I think aslo.
Unfortunately, people like rumors, scandals, etc. Write about Pentax going bankrupt for fun and you will get dozens if not hundreds of comments. Our friend "Ricehigh" from HongKong, bashes Pentax all the time and gets a lot of comments. What can I say!
Keep writing, I like your mini-reviews and the quality of your photos keeps improving.
Don't give up.
Hin,
Keep it up, I'm a regularly reader of your blog and I enjoy the simple and light posts I feel you put out. It's also cool to read about your work (didn't know you work at yahoo) and esp. the vast equipment you have. I like that you don't post rumors, bash other cameras or post the usual what does f-stop mean. I'm sorry I don't comment more often, but I had to on the Sigma 17-70 post! Keep it up, and don't care about "viewers". I stressed about my flickr account; why I don't/can't get on explore, barely any views and comments but in the end I just enjoy that a few people check it out. My wife and I have a blog too, which I assure you is read by a handful of people, like 1 hand!
-Somanna
(ps- our blog is on my profile page for flickr... yea cheap plug for sure)
Robin,
My two comments were posted through Firefox 3.0.13 running on Linux Red Hat. No problems here.
I use Firefox as well. This comment using 3.0.6 running on OSX 10.5.8.
I've only relatively recently added your blog to the feed reader (Bloglines), though I've browsed it in the past from time to time anyway.
Not sure what it takes to grow a community but as you probably know I communicate with a lot of these same people (I 'know' most of the other commenters here) on other forums with a lot more critical mass in terms of community participation. An example might be Pentaxforums; seem to arrive at just the right time as D-SLR adopters became frustrated with dpreview and sought a better place to live.
Hello Hin
I also run a photography blog and understand your frustration with the lack of feedback. The fact that the Pentaxian community is not as large as the Canikonian doesn't help, of course. Nonetheless, I think everybody agrees that your blog is a friendly place for trustworthy technical info and reference.
In the mean time, here's my humble contribution to enlarging your reader basis: I've added your address to the blog roll on my blog (http://exposingpixels.blogspot.com/)!
Hi Hin,
I regret that I am actually guilty in this matter (Not leaving comments). Especially leaving appreciative messages where they are due.
I love your articles, and I have factored them into my recent equipment purchases. Keep up the great work.
Please don't be discouraged by the lack of feedback. I believe the number of hits you receive are a testament to how many readers value your articles, opinions, and more importantly, the valuable time you invest in the blog.
Sincerely Appreciated. :)
Regards.
I don't know how to thank each of you for your heartfelt and thoughtful response.
@Robin, I thank you again for testing the comment section with your firefox. I will continue to look into the problems. Thanks for the support.
@Dave, I hope I can widen my audience with K mount, m42 mount 645 lenses, zeiss and most important of all, strive to learn and share as much as I enjoy and find time to do so
@Yvon, you have been kind and supportive. Thank you so much for your comment and it really encourage me. The support from you and others means a whole lot to me and I have since clammed my nerves with the ranting until I saw the K-x release. Oh man, there won't be any news better than the K-x to put me back on focus with new possibilities of 2nd backup body if I ever get to upgrade K-7
@Somanna, thank you for the continued support with comments and visit. I will soon add your blog to my Pentaxian blogroll.
@Andrew, thank you once again for all the thoughtful suggestions to the blog. There are few improvements recently made all based on your intuition and thoughtful suggestions, thanks again.
@Frank, your blogroll with my blog has made it the best of my day over here in California. I have made new friends with you in Portugual. I love and envy your Zeiss glass
@Vijay, I should be the one in apologizing to my readers for the unnecessary ranting. Now that it is out of my chest, I can get back to focus on the positive with renewed energy in the good Pentax days ahead.
Warmest and sincere thanks to all.
Hin,
I for one am glad you got that off your chest. I believe it is good to speak your feelings as it shows your passion..This same passion is what also makes you the great photographer that you are. To say that you are an inspiration would be an understatement...
Thank you for all the hard work that you do...And hin, you know I say what I mean and mean what I say...
Blessings my friend.
@street_vision, you are an awesome pal and I can always count on you. Please enable comment in your street_vision blog and I can't wait to be able to enjoy blogging and commenting with you.
Hinman, first time visit your blog, nice blog, you're really diligent and just keep up your hard works.
As for feedbacks and comments, well, I think most readers read on the internet are just *read*ers, they seldom post! So, just don't be upset for that. And, if your statcounter already reaches 400K, I think you've a lot of readers already. Congrats!
@RiceHigh, I don't know how to thank you for your courteous visit with kindness and support. Now you make me feel bad in all the trashy and bashy talk that I have on your behalf. I don't mean to be condescending as I truly admire at you and even invite you to be friend in PF. I was sharing many of your enthusiasm on K-7, K100D and K-m. I even badly made jokes on you RHTrashyGreen in my blog page, I should feel shame but I am not at the moment.
I have kept our friendship in the back-burner while asking PF members to say NO to your blog. I suggest them to visit your blog to get informed on issued as a reporting agent but NOT to get brain washed from your biased opinion.
I hope our friendship still stay on and we be kind to each other in our accusation, bashy and trashy talk over the internet through blogging.
I wish to visit your blog someday that you share unbiased opinions on Pentax, ie conclusion that is based on factual comparison.
I will soon write up my next blog post to officially welcome you as an honorable guest and friend, but an enemy in our Pentax warfare.
a friend but an enemy? Just because people don't always see eye to eye does not make them enemies, my dear silly friend. :)
We can't all own canons and nikons - too much similarity in life would be "WAY" boring.
I still don't think the kx is going to go very far, but I'm looking forward to picking up the K7 when my budget will 'better' permit.
As for who reads your blog, my dear - every time I am researching to buy new pentax glass, I check out your site first, Hin.
I may not always say it - but, I very much appreciate all the efforts you make to test out different lenses. I wouldn't own half the glass that I do, without your efforts and writings.
Peace, my dear. I wish you plenty of peace.
.oO ( enemy? Hin loves everybody... what's this about enemies? ) Oo.
Hey Hin,
1st, thanks for the blogroll add, much appreciated. I've had my site for about 2 1/2 years now and in that time have had about 20 comments from over 300 posts but I'm getting a much higher amount of traffic that increases every month and that's fine with me.
Bloggers love comments, it makes them feel warm and fuzzy inside and tells them people care about what they are doing but ultimately, it's for you. I bet you are much better photographer, writer and overall more experienced individual since writing your blog? I know I am.
Hinman, opinions are what one person thinks and I guess there is no such "unbiased opinion" thing on Earth, as different people will think differently.
And, don't think people read on Net are so easily "brain washed" as I do believe people are not so stupid and they can think independently and will have their own judgement.
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